Sacro Iliac joint pain is very commonly associated with lower back pain. Learn more about what it is and how to treat it in this medical video clip.
Rest
Stretch your back
Anti-inflammatory medicines
Dr. Valadka practices Neurosurgery in Houston, Texas. Dr. Alex Valadka graduated from the University of Pritzker School of Med with an MD and he has been in the profession for 21 years.
DR. ALEX VALADKA: Today, we'll talk about sacroiliac joint pain. What is the sacroiliac joint? Well, it's located here at the bottom of your spine where your sacrum connects with your ilium here and the rest of your pelvis. And this area is critical for bearing all the weight that comes down from your spine. Because as we stand upright, all of our weight is transmitted down through this area which has to support a tremendous amount of force everyday. The symptoms from this can be kind of hard to differentiate from a lot of other causes of low back pain. You may notice some tenderness right over that area along with diffused ache in your lower back and buttocks and upper thighs. To make it even harder to diagnose, X-rays are often normal, but there are plain X-rays or MRI scans or CAT scans. There are a few tests that a doctor can try on physical exam to try to isolate the SI joint, as it's called, and put some pressure on it. But again, these are often difficult and hard to pin down. So one of the best tests involves a block or a local anesthetic injection in the area to try to take out some of the pain. And if the anesthetic is injected under X-ray guidance and the patient obtains a lot of relief that suggests that really is the source of the problem. The initial treatments of all things like rest if you are doing some sort of activity or exercise and may be promoting it. You can also try ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal medications, and physical therapy to help build up the endurance and strength and flexibility of some of the associated muscles. As those muscles get stronger, they take some of the stress off the sacroiliac joint. If all these treatments fail, a physician may order a cortisone injection directly into the SI joins in an attempt to stop some of the inflammation that is causing the problem.
